Hoka has rolled out the Transport 2, the second generation of its city-to-trail crossover, with a recommended retail price of $155 and a launch window that puts pairs in stores through May. The brand is positioning the shoe as a do-everything daily that sits next to the running line rather than inside it — the kind of pair runners reach for on rest days, errand days and travel days when a road trainer feels like overkill and a hiker feels like overdressed.
The headline change is a fuller helping of foam underfoot. The Transport 2 carries a 36 mm heel stack — tall enough to feel familiar to anyone who has run in the Bondi or Clifton lines — with a softer collar and sockliner aimed at all-day comfort. Lab reviewers at RunRepeat noted a measurable bump in cushioning over the original, and Hoka has paired that with a redesigned engineered upper that drops weight without sacrificing lockdown around the heel.
Crucially, the Vibram Megagrip outsole returns. The original Transport leaned on the same compound and earned a reputation as one of the most versatile rubber blocks on a lifestyle shoe; pulling it through to the second generation keeps the Transport credible on wet pavement, gravel access roads and the kind of light singletrack that connects a trailhead car park to the actual climb. Cordura reinforcement on the tongue, reflective detailing and a water-repellent upper round out the build.
Reviewers who have spent time in the shoe describe it as a clear upgrade rather than a rethink. Outdoor Gear Lab and REI testers both flagged the traction on varied surfaces — concrete, asphalt, packed snow and loose gravel — as the standout, and Treeline Review praised the comfort-focused tweaks for travellers and commuters who walk more miles than they run. The consensus rating across the major lab tests sits comfortably in the upper 8s out of 10.
For runners, the Transport 2 is unlikely to displace anything in the rotation, but it slots neatly into the recovery and lifestyle slot that Hoka has been quietly cultivating with the Mach Remastered earlier this year. The proposition is straightforward: tall stack, sticky outsole, design language that does not look out of place at a coffee shop. Pairs are landing at Hoka.com and major retailers now, with half a dozen colourways in each of men's and women's sizing.